Steering wheel assembly



May3o,1967 R. EGELLER' 3,194,995-

STEERING wHEE sssssss LY May 30, 1967 R. E. SELLER 3,321,995

STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY Original' Filed May 18, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet4.4K*

INVENTOR RoDGe-R E. GEL/.EH

A TTORNE Y United states Paf-em o 3,321,995 STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLYRodger E. Geller, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Original application Day 18,1964, Ser. No. 368,302, now Patent No. 3,274,851, dated Sept. 27, 1966.Divided and this application May 11, 1966, Ser. No. 549,216 1 Claim.(Cl. 74-552) This is a division of copending application Ser. No.368,302, Geller, filed May 18, 1964, now Patent No. 3,274,851, andbelonging to the assignee of the present invention.

This invention relates to assem-bly of vehicle steering wheel means and,more particularly, to arrangement of components in location intermediaterim and hub portions thereof.

Use of only exible components per se between rim and hub portions canresult in problems of twist and deformation thereof under suddentangential or axial forces which may be applied thereto. Yet apredetermined flexibility is sought for safety reasons requiring atleast partial absorption of bodily impact forces. Accordingly, an objectof the present invention is to provide new and improved steering wheel`assembly arrangements which assure necessary rigidity yet affordingpredetermined peripheral resilience for shock absorption.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheelassembly -between rim and hub portions including a central rigid cagehaving open space for instrument visibility centrally thereof anchoredby hub-supported bars extending to an intermediate loop from whichresilient wiring 4projects peripherally to the rim portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide 'a steering wheelarrangement assembled between hub and rim portions thereof withtensioned wiring, clip means, expanded metal brackets and resilientlacing means located only directly radially inwardly from the rimportion to an intermediate rigid ring member for a distance less thanfrom the hub portion to the ring member rigidly held -thereby in spacedaxial relation parallel to the hub portion by spider rods in divergingrelation to each other to withstand sudden turning forces.

A further object of the present invention is to provide steering wheelarrangement to include a central hub portion odset axially to one sideof va pair of concentric rim portions substantially co-planar as to eachother and including both resilient and rigid interconnections theretoradially outwardly from the hub portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheelmeans having 'both hub and rim portions in combination with an auxiliaryrim portion located radially therebetween and joined -by both rigidsupport portions carried in widely spaced positioning maintainedcentrally by the hub portion as 'well as more resilient trim meansrelatively close together yet defiectable under impact absorbedperipherally thereby.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the presentinvention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in perspective a steering wheel assembly inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows a perspective view of a modification of the assembly ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of steering wheel rim and hub portionshaving zig-zag rigid intermediate ring means substantially in `alignmentwith horn Iblowing means ICC as carried by a central hu-b portion andperipheral resillent wiring means.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of alternate peripheral wiring -rneans -for usein steering wheel assembly of the present lnvention.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of another resilient means of stamped metal foruse in steering wheel assembly of the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of further resilient means of expanded metal foruse in steering wheel assembly of the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a side view of configuration of resilient means such asshown by views of FIGURES 5, 6 and 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of another steering wheel modification.

In FIGURE 1 there is a steering Wheel means generally indicated bynumeral 10 including a first or outer rim portion 11 having a metal core12 therein positioned axially to one side of and radially outwardly froma central hub portion 14. Previous attempts to improve safety featuresof such steering wheel means have included provision of resilient spokesor interconnections for the hub and outer rim portions which in someinstances can be caused to twist or deform as to each other due tosudden turning force applied to the rim portion 11 when actually nodanger or impact exists so far as harm to the ybody of a vehicleoperator is concerned. Under such circumstances it is desirable to havea differing steering wheel arrangement Iprovided with features inaccordance with the pres-` ent invention. Therefore, in FIGURE 1 thereis shown a a combination of intermediate components including anauxiliary rim portion 15 located radially inwardly and concentrically asto the outer rim portion 11. A limited number of relatively secure andfixed spider-like rods or supports 16 form a cage with Considerable openspace 17 therebetween for instrument panel visibility. Criss-crossedthin wiring means 18 can be attached between the outer metal core 12 andauxiliary or inner ring member or rim portion 15. This wiring 18 couldbe in tension with an angular relationship of criss-crossing wiring in arange between 15 `and 30 degrees. An optional covering 19 of insulatingmaterial can be provided to conceal juncture of the wiring 18 with thering Ior auxiliary rim portion 15. Thus both the rim portion 11 andcovering 19 can provide ornamental effect while resilient wiring 18assures peripheral safety subject to polishing and deashing of moldedplastic or insulating materials of the rim portion 11 and covering 19 inaccordance with a 4teaching of `a U.S. Patent 3,020,661, Miller et al.,issued Feb. 13, 1962 andbelonging to the assignee of the presentinvention. Reference can also be made to a copending disclosure of S.N.347,773, McCardle et al., filed Feb. 27, 1964, and belonging to theassignee of the present invention wherein further details as toinsulation coverings and finishing thereof can be found. Such vaporfinishing as Vdisclosed in Patent 3,020,661, Miller et al., dated Feb.13, 1962, and in the copending application permits cleaning aroundwiring. It is to be understood that the cross-cross of wiring 18 can bereinforced or lmodified as shown in other views of the drawings.

In FIGURE 2 there is shown another steering wheel means generallyvindicated by numeral 20 having l a rim portion 21 of insulatingmaterial reinforced by a central core 22 located outwardly from a hubportion 23. Intermediate components in accordance with the presentinvention include an auxiliary ring or rim member 24 which is securedand positioned along an underside of an angular location 25 ofrelatively rigid rod or support means 26 having extensions 26E thereofjoined to the Y23 and the auxiliary rim or ring portion 24 thoughcrisscross wiring 28 is reinforced by the extensions 26E. It is to benoted that the extensions 26E can be used singly or doubly asillustrated though the double use is probably more convenient.

FIGURE 3 shows another steering wheel means generally indicated bynumeral 30 having a rim portion 31 of insulating material on a metalcore 32 as well as a central hub portion 33. A rigid cage-like centralportion can include plural rods or support means 34 in a star-likeconfiguration having outer ends thereof secured such as by brazing orwelding to a ring member or auxiliary rim portion 35. Resilient thinwiring means 36 can be looped or wrapped in a zig-zag configurationradially inwardly from the metal core 32. The rod or rigid support means34 could also be a metal stamping either perforated or solid. FIGURE 4illustrates the dished configuration of the intermediate componentsbetween the rim portion 31 and hub portion 33. It is to be noted that incross section the auxiliary ring or rim portion 35 could be of a sizeordiameter less than that of the rim portion 31 so that a horn ring 37outlined in FIGURE 4 could be located concentrically or axially inalignment on one side of the ring or auxiliary rim portion 35.

In FIGURE there is an alternate showing of a wiring means Withcrisscross portions 39 as well as bent-over ends 40 integral therewithforming a substantially figure eight configuration. Such wiring means 39with the bentover ends 40 would look similar to the criss-cross wiringmeans 18 and 2S of FIGURES 1 and 2 and could be used conveniently inpredetermined locations radially inwardly from the outer rim portion toonly the intermediate or auxiliary ring means such as identified byreference numerals 15, 25 and 35 in views of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3respectively.

FIGURE 6 shows another embodiment of intermediate components useable inplace -of the criss-cross wiring such as 39 and having a body portion 41of stamped metal centrally opened as indicated at numeral 42 as well ashaving opposite bent-over ends 43 which fit and can be crimped over thecore of the outer rim portion as well as the intermediate ring means.

In FIGURE 7 there is an illustration of another metal stamping orexpanded metal means having a central body portion 49 including aplurality of openings 50 therethrough as well as bent-over ends 51.FIGURE 8 illustrates a side or elevational View of the structures ofFIGURE 5, 6 and 7 arbitrarily identified by a reference B representingthe' body portions 39, 41 and 51 respectively as well as the crimped orcurled ends identified by a reference numeral C in FIGURE 8corresponding to the ends 46, 43 and 51 in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7respectively. It is to be understood that by curling or crimping overthe ends as to the core of the outer rim portion and the intermediatering means each of the body portions is caused to be in tension. Each`of the body portions is to be located substantially in a horizontalplane intermediate the core of the outer rim portion and theintermediate ring means.

It is to be noted that the intermediate ring means such as representedby reference numerals 15, 25 and 35 in views of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 couldhave a semi-arcuate cross section or rolled channel metal such thatwiring can terminate at radially innerends thereof with enlarged headportions as to the intermediate ring means.

In FIGURES 9 there is shown another steering wheel arrangement generallyindicated by numeral 60 including an outer rim portion 61 as well as acentral hub portion 62. Extending radially outwardly and axially to oneside of the hub portion 62 there is a cage means or intermediate ringmember 63 rigidly supported as to the hub portion by rods 64. However,the rods `64 are relatively few in number compared with a plurality ofradially extending resilient and thin-wire means 65 which canbe joinedor deformed at an intermediate location 66 as to the ring means 63.Outer ends of the wiring 65 can be suitably secured to the outer rimportion 61. Reference can be made to a copending application S.N. 318,-207, Geller, filed Oct. 23, 1963, now Patent No. 3,270,581, andbelonging to the assignee of the present invention concerning differingsteering wheel means. Also reference can -be made to copending designapplications S.N. 77,115, Geller, filed Oct. 23, 1963, now Patent Des.200,- 636, Geller issued Mar. 23, 1965, and S.N. 77,116, Geller, tiledOct. 23, 1963, now Patent Des. 202,495, Geller, issued Oct. 12, 1965,including divisions thereof respectively, as well as another designapplication, S.N. 80,029, Geller, filed concurrently with the parenthereof on May 18, 1964, and now Patent Des. 203,449, Geller, issued Jan.18, 1966, including divisions thereof also.`

While the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed constitutepreferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might beadopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

A steering wheel comprising, an outer rim, a center hub, Y

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 139,508 11/1944 Snow 74-552 X436,993 9/1890 Overrnan 301-55 X 441,409 11/1890 Hardy. 2,765,67410/1956 Robards 74--552 3,020,661 2/1962 Miller et al. 264-341 3,055,2319/1962 Daniel 74-552 MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner.

